PM Modi interacts with doctors, recovered coronavirus patients

The Prime Minister in his ' Mann Ki Baat' said, in this war, there are many soldiers who are fighting the Coronavirus, not in the confines of their homes but outside their homes. He said, these are our front line soldiers especially the brothers and sisters on duty as nurses, doctors and paramedical staff. Mr Modi said, these are people who have defeated Coronavirus.

The Prime Minister shared his conversations on phone with some of those engaged in the fight against COVID-19 boosting their zeal, in turn raising his own enthusiasm as well and said he has learnt a lot from them.

First he shared his conversation with an IT professional Ramgampa Teja who recovered from Coronavirus. The Prime Minister said, Ram followed Doctor’s instructions fully when suspected of having Corona and as a result, he is leading a healthy, normal life today.

Mr Modi also spoke to Ashok Kapoor from Agra who along with his family suffered due to Coronavirus. The Prime Minister said, we can defeat this pandemic without panicking, following the right steps on time, contacting doctors on time without getting afraid and by taking proper precautions.

In order to highlight how the nation is dealing with this pandemic at the medical level, the Prime Minister spoke to some doctors who are leading the front line in this battle. Dr. Nitesh Gupta from Delhi thanked Prime Minister for the support from government to the hospital and told him that everyone's mood in his hospital is upbeat. Dr. Borse from Pune shared his experiences with patients recovering from the infection.

The Prime Minister said, all these people are persevering to the best extent possible to chase out this scourge. What they tell us is not just for us to listen to, it is to be practiced in life in the truest spirit. Mr Modi said, the sacrifice, perseverance and dedication of doctors remind him of the touching words of Acharya Charak who had said, the one who strives for his patient’s well being in the spirit of service and compassion, with no desire, monetary or otherwise, is the greatest Doctor.

He saluted the embodiment of humanity, the Nurse. The Prime Minister said, the selfless spirit of service with which they perform their duty is beyond compare. He said, it’s a coincidence that the world is celebrating year 2020 as the International year of the Nurse and Midwife. The year 1820 is associated with the birth of Florence Nightingale who lent a new identity, a new paradigm to the term ‘Service to humanity’ and the field of Nursing, taking it to newer heights. 

Mr Modi expressed confidence that the nursing community with its dedication will help save many lives. Mr Modi said, India has been able to fight a battle on such a massive scale, only because of the zeal and grit of the frontline warriors like Doctors, nurses, para medics, Aasha, ANM workers and sanitation workers. He said, the country is concerned about their health also and the government has announced a health insurance cover of up to Rs 50 lakhs for around 20 lakhs colleagues from these fields so that in this battle, they can lead the country with greater self confidence.

Mr Modi said, in the battle against Coronavirus we have many examples of real heroes. He recalled that Sudhaakar Hebbaale Niranjan of Bengaluru has written on the Namo app, that such people are daily life heroes. The Prime Minister said, these are people due to whom our daily life runs smoothly. He said, the small retail storekeeper in the neighbourhood is also taking a great risk in these troubled times to ensure that people do not face any difficulty in buying essential goods. 

He also talked about drivers and workers, who are continuing to work ceaselessly, so that the nation's supply chain of essential goods is not disrupted. Mr Modi said, those working in the



banking sector are leading us in this fight. Mr Modi said, many people are engaged with E-commerce companies as delivery personnel are continuing delivering grocery even in these trying times.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the people who are enabling the people to watch uninterrupted television and making digital payments with ease. He requested them to follow all the safety precautions, take care of themselves and their family members. The Prime Minister said, people need to understand that in the current circumstances, we need to ensure social distance, not human or emotional distance. 

He said, he was pained to see that some of those who were suspected to have Coronavirus and asked to stay in home quarantine, are being ill-treated by others. These people are not criminals. They are merely suspected to be infected with the virus. These people have isolated and quarantined themselves to protect other people from getting infected. At many places, people have taken their responsibilities very seriously. 

They have quarantined themselves even when they were asymptomatic. They did so because they had travelled abroad recently and were being doubly cautious. They wanted to ensure that nobody else got infected by this virus.  Mr. Modi said, such people need to be shown sympathy and cooperation.

The Prime Minister said, social distancing is the most effective way of fighting against Coronavirus but we need to understand that social distancing does not mean ending social interaction. He said, actually, this is the time to give a new lease of life to all our existing social relationships. In a way, this time teaches us to reduce emotional distance and increase social distance. 

He recalled Yashvardhan from Kota who wrote on the Namo app, that they are increasing family bonding during the lockdown. They are playing cricket and boardgames with kids and preparing new dishes. Nirupama Harsheya from Jabalpur wrote on the Namo app, that she finally got an opportunity to fulfil her wish to make a quilt. Pareekshit from Raipur, Aaryaman from Gurugram and Suraj from Jharkhand have discussed about having a e-reunion with their school friends. 

Mr Modi said, it may be an interesting idea to talk to school and college mates whom we have not spoken to for decades. He mentioned Pratyush of Bhubaneswar and Vasudha of Kolkata who said that they are reading books that they had not been able to read. Mr Modi said, he also saw on social media, that many people took out musical instruments like Tabla and Veena that were lying unused for years and started practicing on them. He said, in this crisis, people have got a rare opportunity to not only connect with themselves but also with their passion.

Replying to Shashi  from Roorkee,  who asked asked Mr Modi on the Namo App as to what he does for fitness during the lockdown and how he observes the Navaratri fast in these circumstance, Mr Modi reiterated, that although he has urged the people to avoid stepping out of houses, he has also suggested to take a look inwards. As far as the Navaratri fast is concerned, that is between him and his faith and the supreme power.

Regarding fitness, he said, he will upload some videos on the social media including the Namo app. He said he is not a fitness expert but he can inspire some people. He said, he is not a yoga teacher but merely a practitioner and some yoga asanaas have greatly benefitted him. Mr Modi said, today every Indian is confined to the home to ensure his or her own safety, but in the times to come, the very same Indian will tear down all walls on the road to our progress and take the country forward. He again appealed to the countrymen to stay at home, be careful and safe in order to to win this battle.